Rated one of Pennsylvania's top blog/sites, the LuLac Political Letter delves into issues of politics on all levels (with special concentration on Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties: thus the name LULAC) and pop culture.
The LuLac Political Letter was also named Best Political Blog of the Year for 2014 by NEPA BLOGCON and most recently David Yonki was named Best Blogger of the year 2015 by the publication Diamond City.

If this doesn't cry out for a new School Director like Kathy Grinaway to stop this logjam of nepotism, cronyism and family ties, then nothing will. You mean to tell me that there are no other qualified graduates looking for jobs in education out there except the Mayor's brother??? Really?

BATTLE LINES DRAWN

When Congress comes back from vacation, the Democrats and the President are going to dig in against the Republican controlled constipation of the U.S. House. GOP leaders have already said they will battle the President on the debt ceiling next year. But the Democrats in Congress, hopefully with a few reasonable Republicans will be spoiling for a fight. The Congress needs to do something on the order of what it did yesterday by voting 392 to 31 to lower interest rates on Student Loans. This was a bipartisan bill that took forever to pass. The legislation replaces a system in which Congress fixed interest rates every year and substitutes it with a market-based mechanism tied to the government's cost of borrowing and capped to protect borrowers in the event of a severe spike in rates.
Here's what the President and Congress need to do: 1. Democrats need to become the vocal majority in calling out every GOP obstructionist that is screaming about how Obama screwed everything up since 2009. 2. The Democratic House has to make the case that the GOP can’t be trusted to lead in this Legislative branch. They need to highlight the Farm Bill defeat because GOP reactionaries like our own Tom Marino want to look in everybody’s shopping carts. The Food Stamp program is just as more important to farmers as it is to those people, those working poor trying to get by in LuLac land for nine bucks an hour working two jobs. 3. The House Democrats need to message louder and longer than their GOP counterparts. And they need to shut up characters like Freshman Representative Mike Kelly who never met a fact he couldn’t distort about this administration.
The House Democrats have to start defining the message now for 2014. If they don’t, the last two years of the Obama Presidency will not be productive for the middle class.

PEEKABOO!!!!

Your email and online chats can be monitored without authorization by any National Security Agency analyst using a computer program known as "XKeyscore," according to NSA leaker Edward Snowden, who shared the information with the Guardian in a story published Wednesday.
According to NBC News XKeyscore is described by the NSA in training materials as its "widest reaching" means of gathering information from the Internet, according to the Guardian. Using the program, "analysts can also search by name, telephone number, IP address, keywords, the language in which the Internet activity was conducted or the type of browser used."
NSA analysts "can also use XKeyscore and other NSA systems to obtain ongoing 'real-time' interception of an individual's Internet activity," the Guardian said.
The NSA documents contend that by the year 2008, 300 terrorists had been captured using information gathered with XKeyscore, the newspaper said. Here’s my take on this. Bin Laden won. Even though he is dead and shark bait by now, his actions on 911 turned us into a different country. If people say we lost our innocence as a nation when JFK died 50 years ago, we were all out raped on 911. The world is a different place and if some geeky NSA analyst can access what I say with a keystroke, so be it. If he has the intelligence and institutional knowledge of Edward Snowden, people with a brain have nothing to worry about because they won’t “get” what we mean. May they view thousands and thousands of Honey Boo Boo e mails.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

The late Gerald Ford. introducing Bill Scranton to the nation. Scranton's wife Mary is seated next to him. (Photo: Times Tribune).

WHY ARE YOU FOR ME????

Another quick story about the late Bill Scranton. When President Gerald Ford named Scranton as UN Ambassador in 1976, according to the New York Times here was part of their conversation which was a private transcript obtained by the Times: Ford: Bill you were opposed to the Nixon pardon. Scranton: That’s right. Ford: You weren’t very enthusiastic about my economic program. Scranton: That’s right. Ford: My food stamp decision drove you up the wall. Scranton: It sure did. Ford: You didn’t favor aid to South Vietnam. Scranton: No, I didn’t. Ford: Then why are you for me? Scranton: Because you’re honest and decent and the first President I ever knew, and I’ve known several, who could talk to me like that. And that conversation is illustrative of what is wrong with politics today! .

FINALLY

State Representative Eddie Day Pashinski announced this week that finally, a tribute to coal miners has gone through the laborious bureaucracy of the U.S. Postal Service. It took a lot of work and effort but a stamp honoring miners finally will come to fruition. We’ve had Elvis, Marilyn, Mickeys Mantle and Mouse, about time we honor the miner who helped fuel the industry of the 20th century. Here’s Pashinski’s release: After decades of hard work by thousands of people affiliated with the life of a coal miner, the Citizens Stamp Advisory Council of the United States Postal Service has approved issuing a coal miner postage stamp as part of its Made in America: Building a Nation series. I invite those of you who contributed to this great cause to join me on Friday, Aug. 9 at 9 a.m. at the Wilkes-Barre post office, 300 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, to commemorate this occasion. The stamp will be available for purchase and light refreshments will be served.
This celebration is for all those who dedicated their time and efforts to honor our coal miners. Come and join us!
Please contact my office at 570-825-5934 by no later than 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8 to RSVP for the event.

U.S. Congressman Matt Cartwright. (Photo: LuLac archives).

Cartwright Announces Start of FY 2013 SAFER Grant Application Period

The Fiscal Year 2013 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant application period opens Monday, July 29, 2013; the deadline for all grant applications is Friday, August 30, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. The grant application process requires a significant amount of time to properly complete. Therefore, Rep. Cartwright asks that any affiliates who seek help with their grant application contact his appropriate district office. To reach Rep. Cartwright’s Economic Development Specialist inCarbon and Schuylkill Counties contact Bill Hanley at 570-624-0140. To reach Rep. Cartwright’s Economic Development Specialist inLackawanna and Luzerne Counties contact Bob Morgan at 570-341-1050. To reach Rep. Cartwright’s Economic Development Specialist in Northampton and Monroe Counties contact April Niver at 484-546-0776. “Adequate staffing always has and always will be a key to keeping firefighters and communities safe from fires and the multitude of other emergencies agencies are called to answer,” said Rep. Cartwright. “No matter how large or small a department is, having the correct amount of staff on scene is one of the best ways to mitigate risks.” Congress has approved $337.5 million in SAFER funding to rehire and retain fire fighters. Of that $337.5 million, $20 million is set aside to hire military veterans with an extra year of funding for each veteran hired.
“I urge municipalities with fire departments facing reduced emergency response capabilities in particular should apply for SAFER funding. Additionally, I ask that affiliates to work with their fire chiefs, and state and local lawmakers to file for the grants,” said Rep. Cartwright.
The SAFER program has put thousands of fire fighters back to work, giving a much-needed boost to public safety in countless struggling communities.

MEDIA MATTERS

ECTV

ECTV Live will feature information of all of the events scheduled for the annual
Christy Mathewson Days celebration in Factoryville this month. Host Tom Munley
continues his vacation leave with David DeCosmo taking his spot and broadcast
veteran Rusty Fender manning the co-host seat. ECTV Live can be seen on Comcast
Ch 19 each day at Noon, Midnight and 6PM on select days.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE

This Week on Sunday Magazine
Brian Hughes speaks with members of the Phoenix Performing Arts Center in Duryea
about their upcoming presentation of Monty Python's "Spamalot", the first
locally produced version in Northeast Pa.
Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Pauline Carmody from Family
Service Association of Northeast Pa. about the 5th annual Paulie Friedman 5K Run
& Walk, coming up next Sunday at Misericordia University in Dallas.
Brian speaks with Dr. Jill Waible about what the changes in sunscreen mean for
your summer tanning.
And Brian speaks with Joshua Taylor about Geanology, and how to get in touch
with your family ancestry. Sunday Magazine, Sunday morning at 5am on NASH-FM 93.7, 5:30am on 97BHT, 6am on
97.9X, 6:25am on Magic 93 and 7am on True Oldies 590, WARM.

TOPIC A

Tune in Friday at 5PM for the "Friday On My Mind Edition" of Topic A with me and L.A. Tarone Friday night at 5PM. There will be no repeat at 7 because of Iron Pigs baseball.

Our 1976 logo.

1976

In New York City, the "Son of Sam" pulls a gun from a paper bag, killing 1 and seriously wounding another, in the first of a series of attacks that terrorize the city for the next year……NASA releases the famous Face on Mars photo, taken by Viking 1…….The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago becomes a republic, replacing Elizabeth II with a President as its head of state……..The Seattle Seahawks play their first football game…In Pennsylvania, the aftershocks of the Richard Schweiker proposed Vice Presidential nomination has the Republican party divided. Drew Lewis says he is still committed to President Ford but Reagan officials are invading Pennsylvania to try and get control of those delegates…….in Luzerne County Democrat Joe Tirpak says that the Ford/Reagan split will only enhance the Democrats chance. Tirpak, party Secretary makes the rounds at various bazaars with Democratic Chair Bob Loftus…..and thirty seven years ago the number one song in Lulac land and America was Paul McCartney and Wings hit, “Let ‘Em in”.

27 Comments:

Yeah, I think if the government or anyone wanted to know what we are doing, they can find out. But the fact is, we aren't that interesting. Go to the store and buy soda, you'll get coupons for chips. Buy tissues, you'll get coupons for toilet paper or feminine hyegene products. How d you think they know that?

Look at the people who voted yes. Elmy: FLUNKIE! QUINN: FLUNKY. LATINSKI: HEAD FLUNKY AND HACK!Galella: FLUNKY!TOOLE: FLUNKY! THere is no way another Democrat should win in this sorry ass excuse of a school district.

Oh Poor little Brian doesn't got a job no more because he just can't find anyting out dere. Hey Mr. Mayor, pick him! LOok at the political ties. The South Wilkes Barre mafia has nothing on the Sopranos.

I have no idea who the heck Kathy Grinaway is. I wouldn't know her if I fell over her. But I am voting for her and will tell everyone I know to do so. Wilkes Barre is a disgrace as is its Mayor and the Democrats who run the joint. They tore down the Sterling, time to tear down the me first cronyism in this God foresaken arm pit of Leightonville.

Oink, oink......he was feeding at the public trough at the Courthouse. Oink, oink. Now he gets to feed off the city teats!!! Oink, oink. And this guy Quinn, this guy just needs to go away. My wish is for everyone who gets snubbed to win the lottery and let everything, shoveing shit,catching the out of town Gashawns and Lashwans and Latwanns and chasing them down. Let every single blessed job go to the freaking Leightons. And when the feeak show leaves town, losers like Phil litinski and Quinn and Toole and Elmy and that joker from trhe township can mop up the dung as WB, the School district and this city go to hell. But at least the Leightons will have theirs won't they and that's what is the most important thing.

Your blog is interesting tonight. Matt Cartwright....going out on a limb for the middle class. Bill Scranton and Gerald Ford, standing together in disagreement but respect for a great goal: America. And then the slimeball Mayor with the brother who needs work. Yep, that is quite a difference in character. Public service like Cartwright's and Scranton's is about giving. The Leighton clan, (and I knw you like Bill Vinsko a lot but...) just have their hands out ALL THE TIME!

Lulac contrasting character with lack of character. WB is a mess and the only way to start cleaning up is new bloodlines, literally. Some folks have had enough time in the spotlight representing themselves and the other haves. As the faux professor's favorite folkie Bob Dylan didn't say, "The Times They Aint a Changin At All Around Here!" This shit sure gets old and there is no end in sight.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The LuLac Edition #2486, August 1st, 2013":

I hate to be the one to break this to you and your readers but Brian Leighton was not unemployed and needing a job. He is working and has been working for the Luzerne County Probation Department as a Parole Officer.

Anyone who thinks these "kids" are harmless and visiting their homes is a piece of cake just don't read the papers. Like it or not, Leighton is very qualified to do the job of a truant officer and he is capable of going into a potentially dangerous home situation trying to straighten out these kids before they end up in jail. It is not an easy job and I personally would not want it but Brian Leighton, regardless of who his brother is can do the job in a capable way. NO, I am not a personal friend of any member of the Leighton family and I can't recall ever meeting Brian except by reputation of him doing his job at the county probation office. I do know people who dealt with him as a professional representative of the courts and from them I hear he is very capable.

My question is, should he be ruled out simply because his brother is the mayor? Does anyone think Tom Leighton supports Brian's family? Of course not. Brian is more than qualified to do the job and on paper, I have to think he is the best qualified for the job. Who else would have his credentials? I don't think you have to bury the hatchet on every political appointment Yonk, you didn't find fault when your buddy Cartwright hired for political insider Bob Morgan so why dump on Brian Leighton?

And the beat goes on in Pittston. Red O’Brien in the District? Kokura now has a free ride? Reminds me of this storey. I cleaned it up because Yonk does edit and even though he has thousands of old gal pals….we don’t want him to burn in the fires of you know where! A guy walks up to a girl in a bar (political rally, take your pick!) and says:"Damn, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I don't want to seem crass but i like to just cut to the chase. I'll give you 1 million dollars if you sleep with me". She looks at him and says "are you ****ing kidding me?" He says "No, this is not a joke. I have a million dollars in cash and I will give it to you if you sleep with me". She contemplates this for a moment and decides..."1 million dollars? Fine. Ok, I'll do it"...then the guy says..."actually...how about 10 dollars instead". She gets furious and says "What the **** do you think I am?" the guy replies "We've already established what you are. We're just negotiating the price". We know Red’s price and the good barrister’s too.

Dave, Saw you on Topic A talking about Gus Genetti’s big idea about the historical society. One thing Tarone missed is that if grant money comes from the Pa Historical Commission, THAT IS TAX MONEY! Our money. Also the Tourism Agency pays rent now. To who? The biggest landlord in the city! The Chamber of Real Estate, er Commerce! And I loved your point about Tom Greco. If Genetti wants to raise the money, let the first guy he’ll ask is his “partner” Greco who snookered that lunkhead Skrepenak out of 5.8 million.

Brian Leighton is just another one in a long line of people with his hand out. I was going through a divorce a few years ago and learned one thing by observing the Luzerne County Probation Office. They do know how t talk about sports! And they sit on their asses doing next to nothing. Tell me the name of one probation officer killed in Luzerne County if this job is soooooooooo dangeroius as that idiot Quinn referred to in the TL.

Leighton taking this job is a disgrace. Imagine if the jobs taken by public sevice retirees like Bill Barrett and Tony George and this guy were given to young people just starting out. Then young people wouldn’t be leaving here.

IN RESPONSEI don't think you have to bury the hatchet on every political appointment Yonk, you didn't find fault when your buddy Cartwright hired for political insider Bob Morgan so why dump on Brian Leighton?THERE IS NO COMPARISON BETWEEN BOB MORGAN AND BRIAN LEIGHTON. BOB MORGAN HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN BANKING, FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT FOR THIRTY YEARS. HE HAS WORKED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR. YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE PLACE WHERE A LUNCH HOUR IS JUST AN HOUR, WHERE YOU HAVE TO EARN YOUR SICK DAYS AND WHERE YOU HAVE YEARLY REVIEWS ON YOUR PERFORMANCE. MORGAN WAS INVOLVED IN PUBLIC SERVICE AS A TEENAGER. HE RAN FOR OFFICE A FEW TIMES PUTTING HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY OUT THERE BECAUSE HE PRESUMABLY WANTED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO BOB, IF HE WERE SUCH AN "INSIDER", DON'T YOU THINK HE MIGHT HAVE WON AN ELECTION OR GET A POLITICAL JOB SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE? ALL I SEE FROM BRIAN LEIGHTON IS THAT HE IS A "TAKER". AND NOW THAT YOU CLARIFY THE POINT THAT HE DID NOT LOSE HIS JOB BUT IS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER, THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES. THE REASON WHY THEY AREN'T RELEASING THE SALARY IS BECAUSE HE IS LEAVING THE COUNTY JOB WITH A PENSION AND WORKING ON HIS SECOND PUBLIC SERVICE PENSION. BRIAN LEIGHTON WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO FILL BOB MORGAN'S SHOES ON ANY LEVEL, COMMUNITY, PUBLIC SERVICE OR ESPECIALLY PRIVATE BUSINESS. MORGAN WORKED THIRTY YEARS IN PRIVATE BUSINESS, PEOPLE SAY LEIGHTON WOULDN'T EVEN HIT THE 30 DAY MARK. SORRY PAL, NO COMPARISON.

I read with no degree of shock or surprise the recent news stories on the latest hiring fiasco in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District.

During the run up to the Primary Election, the Citizens’ Voice sent out a questionnaire to candidates. Their second question asked what I would do to fix the many problems in the district. This was my response:

First, nepotism must be swept into the dustbin of our district’s history. It invites corruption and all the problems that flow from it. An effective policy against nepotism will not only go a long way towards restoring confidence in the district but will assure the board makes hiring decisions objectively, not subjectively.

On the subject of nepotism, the current hiring policy states that no relatives of Board members and other specific administrators may be hired unless, “…the Board finds that, considering such factors as the candidate’s experience, qualifications and/or the nature of the position, the public interest would be served and not harmed as a result of the candidate’s appointment.”

This reads like “business as usual” because ultimately it’s the Board that decides whether or not to ignore the nepotism section. In football this is called the “prevent” defense: it prevents you from winning if you use it. It is not a policy that will stop nepotism.

Ending nepotism will usher in a bright future for the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. There are many problems in the district, but solving them will only be possible once nepotism is in the rearview mirror.

Nepotism is defined by most dictionaries as giving jobs to relatives. Some dictionaries expand that to include “friends.” The key is that the jobs are given “without merit.” As I told the Citizens’ Voice, Wilkes-Barre Area doesn’t really have a nepotism policy because they can simply vote to ignore it, which is exactly what happened the other night.

School Boards have outlived any usefulness they ever had. They are vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement. Those few who vote honorably are outweighed by those with self-interest at the heart of all their motivations. It is time to abolish school boards. Some may call that “throwing the baby out with the bathwater.” But trust me, any baby in that dark, murky water drowned long ago.

I write this with a profound sense of sadness. A disengaged, self-disenfranchised electorate has abandoned the voting booth and marginalized themselves. Nearly eight in ten voters stayed home in the Wilkes-Barre School Board race, deciding their vote didn’t matter. And as I have said time and again: You get what you vote for. And what you don’t vote against.

IN RESPONSEDavid: Don’t you think the comment posted at 10:51pm might be a little racist? I LOOKED AT THAT BUT THEN I THOUGHT, THE SEVEN MURDERS IN WILKES BARRE AND ALL THE DRUG RELATED ARRESTS THAT I READ ABOUT IN THE NEWSPAPERS WERE NOT COMMITTED BY GUYS NAMED CASMIR, COLIN AND MARIO SO I GET THE POINT OF THE POSTER AND THINK YOU SHOULD TOO!

About Me

Political analyst for WBRE TV's Pa. Live program and post election commentator for WBRE TV's Eyewitness News Daybreak show. Author of the book "A Radio Story/We Wish You Well In Your Future Endeavors" and "Leges Vitae" "26 Rules of Life" and the new novel, "Weather Or Knot". The blog editor also writes various news articles and columns as well as upcoming literary projects. The blog editor was a frequent guest on WYOU TV'S INTERACTIVE NEWSCASTS when political issues were discussed on the national, state and local level. Yonki was a weekly panelist on WYLN TV 35's Friday Topic A program. He also appeared on the Hazleton, PA. station on Election Night doing coverage and did special projects and stories for WYLN TV 35's 10PM Newscast "Late Edition".